The Blood of Hela
by Lord Aerono
Summary: A new demigod has arrived in the halls of Valhalla, one with a very unique heritage and unpleasant attitude, and he's on floor 19! Will Magnus and his floormates be able to tolerate this newcomer, or will he usher all out war to floor 19? Rated T for mild gore and inflammatory language. Reader discretion is advised.


There was something about the newcomer that kept drawing Magnus' eye.

There were six new einherjar seated next to the thanes' table tonight, but the one that had caught Magnus' attention was a man in his late teens, who was not sitting with the rest, instead sitting as far from them as the table would permit. Judging by the looks the others were giving him, it seemed likely that the seating arrangement was not his idea. Even his valkyrie looked uncomfortable, a fact that the man didn't seem bothered by, his focus fixed on his dinner.

"You're staring."

Magnus jumped, turning to grin sheepishly as a smirking Alex. Before Magnus could try to defend himself, he was saved by Helgi.

"Warriors!" Helgi called, rising to his feet and holding his mead horn aloft. "Tonight we welcome six new warriors to the halls of Valhalla!"

A cheer went up across the banquet hall.

"Let us see what worthy deaths we have tonight!" Helgi boomed. "Andy Carson! Rise, and dazzle us with your courage!"

The einherjari that had caught Magnus' attention paused in his meal, and with a visible sigh stood, revealing that what Magnus had thought was a simple white cloak was actually double-sided, snow white on the exterior and ink black on the interior.

Around the tree Laeradr in the center of the hall, massive holographic screens winked into existence, showing what the valkyrie who had recruited Andy had seen.

The video started high off of the ground, the valkyrie clearly standing on the roof of one of the buildings lining the empty street. It was dark, with just the faintest hints of light beginning to creep over the horizon.

Andy was walking down the street, head down, cloak pulled close around him, moving in a way that Magnus recognized as the walk of someone who knows they are not welcome where they are and are trying to leave before trouble starts.

The camera followed Andy for several blocks, the sky slowly growing brighter.

"Is something going-" Alex began to mutter, then stopped as, in the video, a disheveled girl came running out of an alley and nearly slammed into Andy.

The camera got closer as Andy caught the stumbling girl and held her up. "Hey, hey." He said, his voice strange, his tone soothing. "Are you alright? What's going on?"

The girl didn't answer, gasping for breath.

Instead, the answer came as a howling, shrieking scream from the alleyway, a sound like a man and a horse, screaming together in unimaginable agony.

Across the hall, einherjar flinched and covered their ears as the sound echoed around the room.

In the video Andy's head snapped up. Glancing down the alley, he pushed the girl back the way he had come. "Go. Run." he ordered her, shrugging his cloak open and pulling out a white collapsible baton. "I'll cover you. Go!"

The girl ran, leaving Andy facing the alley. "Alright beastie." Andy said, flicking the baton open and causing it to transform into a strange curved sword. "Show me what you got."

The strange, screaming cry came again, and then the monster emerged from the alley.

Across the hall came gasps of disgust and horror. Magnus had to fight the urge to vomit. What had emerged from the alley was almost too horrifying for words.

It looked like a horse, with a man's torso fused to the center of its back, the man's long arms scraping against the ground as it walked. Horse and man were skinless, muscles straining, black blood pulsing through yellow veins, a single burning red eye in the center of the horse's skull, the malice of the monster's gaze forcing Andy back as it advanced out of the alley.

"Nuckelavee." Andy said, almost in a whisper, before visibly pulling himself together and raising his sword.

The nuckelavee struck, its arm little more than a blur.

Somehow Andy managed to duck under the strike and roll away, his sword coming up for a counter strike.

As fast as he was, the nuckelavee was faster. Its other hand lashed out, stabbing Andy through the left shoulder and cutting him to the bone.

Several einherjar around the hall winced in sympathy.

Andy hesitated for a moment, pain clear of his face, then brought his sword around in a lightning motion, cutting the monster's hand off at the wrist.

The nuckelavee screamed and staggered back a step, flailing the wounded arm, the severed hand sliding out of Andy's shoulder and onto the ground.

Andy's smiled through gritted teeth and charged, his blade ready to plunge into the monster's side.

There was a blur of motion and a sickening thud.

The nuckelavee roared in triumph, Andy now impaled on its remaining hand, before dropping the mortally wounded boy to the ground at its feet.

With a final roaring scream, the nuckelavee stepped forward and began to feast on the flesh of the dying boy before it.

Andy, blood streaming from his mouth, tried deperately to raise his arm to stab the monster, then fell back, his sword rolling from lifeless fingers as the monster continued its macabre feast.

The camera zoomed in as the valkyrie descended, her arm gliding into frame as the golden glowing spirit of Andy Burke rose from his body, a look of shock clear on his face.

The camera went dark, and silence prevailed for a long moment. Then cheering broke out around the hall, with even a couple of the thanes joining in.

Magnus glanced at Andy again, noticing that while his valkyrie looked relieved at the reaction, Andy did not. If anything, he looked...resigned. As if he knew that the mood would not last.

Helgi stood, his goblet raised. "Andy Carson!" He shouted, once the noise had dropped sufficiently. "You fought in defense of another, with no regard for your safety. You wounded a superior foe, and died still trying to fight. The thanes have decided! We find you worthy of Valhalla!"

More cheering erupted, though Andy showed no change in mood.

"Andy Carson, do you know your parentage?" Helgi asked, once the hall was again quiet.

"Yes." Andy replied, his voice low, a strange tone under his words. "But you won't like it."

Murmurs went around the hall, einherjar wondering who the newcomer was that he thought he could speak like that.

The faint smile disappeared from Helgi's face. "We will be the judges of that." He declared, a fierce stare fixed on Andy's face. "Tell us, then, who your parents are."

Andy returned the stare, unblinking. "My father was Martin Carson, son of John Carson. My mother was Susan Helsdaughter, daughter of Hela." The faintest traces of a smile graced Andy's lips. "I'm the grandson of Hel. Do you still think I should be here?"


End file.
